My old-fashioned snowball bush is gorgeous right now. The huge flower clusters, which start out as green, have now turned almost pure white, and the entire bush is heavy and drooping with them. There must be hundreds and hundreds of blooms, and each individual cluster gets larger and whiter as they mature. I have had this shrub for many years and it is huge, more than 15 feet tall and still growing. I don’t ever do anything to it other than pruning it a bit right after it finishes blooming. I also keep the trunks clear of branches from the ground up to a little more than 5 feet, and pruning it this way keeps it like a standard or small tree with a large canopy instead of a shrub. I can easily stand underneath it.
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Snowball Viburnum blooms
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In late evening and even at night, the white flowers are phosphorescent and practically glow in the dark. The photo at left was taken at twilight (click to enlarge). Snowballs would be great for a moon garden. This shrub blooms for many weeks in the spring and when the petals start falling, they look like snow on the grass underneath it. I always look forward to seeing this large shrub bloom every year. The one drawback to this shrub that I have found is that when it is at peak bloom and the flower clusters are at their largest, heavy rains can be damaging to the flowers and can cause the branches to become so heavy that they droop almost to the ground.
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Click on any photo to view a larger version.
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This shrub is at the edge of my yard and is visible from the road — I’ve had many people stop and ask about it or want to take photos of it when it’s in full bloom.
I have successfully propagated this deciduous shrub for others by rooting semi-hardwood and hardwood cuttings from it in the early summer. I simply take several cuttings of about 12 inches long, remove most of the leaves, and place them about 5 inches deep in a rich, sandy potting mix I have in a deep old tub at the edge of the woods. The tub gets dappled sunlight, and I do keep it watered through the summer months. By the following spring and summer, usually more than half of the cuttings are well-rooted and ready to transplant. I’ve had good luck propagating many flowers, shrubs, and even trees this way.
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Related post: My Snowball in bloom – May 2009
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That’s seems to be a very beautiful flower.
How does it smell?
Hi Quintarantino, It has a very light scent when it first starts blooming that reminds me kinda of carnations, but now that the blooms have turned white, I can’t smell anything. It is a beautiful flower though, I just love it.
-Sherry
I think it looks stunning, the blooms are awesome.
Hi Tom, I’ve always loved this shrub, especially when the blooms turn white. Thank you for stopping by.
Seeing these beauties brings back memories to my grandmother’s yard. Love the twilight shot of yours–the main reason I like white flowers so much. You can’t miss them!
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, nonizamboni! I too love the way white flowers seem to glow.
[...] in bloom Now that the snowball bush is finishing up it’s bloom (and dropping petals that look like snow on the lawn), the [...]
Hi! What’s in a “sandy potting mix” ? Is it ok to put the pot with the cutting in temps. around 50 degrees?
Hi Estela,
I mixed equal parts potting soil, sand, and peat moss together in a big tub — and that’s what I root cuttings in. My tub is sitting at the edge of the woods with dappled shade most of the day and I’ve had good luck with snowball cuttings. I water it only during prolonged dry spells. As for temp, 50 degrees is probably ok. (I’m in the south, so it’s very hot here.)
Good luck with your cuttings.
-Sherry
Hi Sherry,
I too have always loved the Snowball viburnum and was excited when I got mine, 5 seasons ago. It has never bloomed and I am sick. It leafs out beautifully every spring just like clockwork but no bloom. It is planted in morning/early afternoon sun and is in shade during the hottest part of the afternoon. Can you help? It is now March 12th and not budded yet so if i need to move it somewhere is it too late to move it for this season. I live in the Sierras, CA zone 8, and while most of the snow is now melted I’m sure we’ll get another dusting or so before we’re through….Thanks in advance
I have read about these snowballs on many websites as I just bought 30 of them for a hedge. One site brought up this same none flowering issue and they finally tried fertilizing it in the spring and after 15 years it finally started booming who knew chicken manure was so awesome was what they said. I hope this helps and I hope mine do as well as these wonderful pictures as I live in zone 3-4 in Anchorage Alaska.
Denise in Alaska
Hi lorelei,
I would think that after 5 yrs, yours should have bloomed by now, and I’m not sure why it hasn’t. Mine is in full sun all day.. but I would think yours would have at least a few blooms even if it isn’t getting -enough- sun. Have you pruned it? The only time they should be pruned is right after flowering is finished, usually around the last of May/first of June, since they set flower buds during the summer for the following spring’s bloom.
Do other people grow them in your area?
I’m sorry I can’t be of more help, I just can’t think of any reason why yours hasn’t bloomed by now (unless you are pruning off the buds?).
Good luck with yours,
Sherry
It is gorgeous shrub even without the blooms. Mine doesn’t bloom either. Too much shade I think.
Hi Luci,
You’re probably right in that it gets too much shade, or maybe not a long enough growing season? I just don’t know, but it is a nice shrub even without the flowers.
Thanks for commenting.
Hi Sherry, I just bought a snowball Viburnum and will be
planting it tomorrow. I’m in NC, zone 7. Do you think
full sun here is okay? Summer is pretty hot.
Love your blog,
Tom
Hi Tom,
Thank you.
Yes, I think it will be fine in full sun — I’m in NC, Zone 7 also and mine gets full sun all day. I would just keep it watered for awhile after planting and mulch the roots. Good luck with yours.
Sherry
Sherry,
Thanks for the posting. Friend has two, fully grown, and we love them in that these keep that lovely light fragrance through most all the blooming cycle. Will be shopping for “my yard” at first opp.
Lin
Hi Lin,
Thank you for commenting! They really are beautiful shrubs and I hope you’re able to find one, I’m sure you will enjoy it. I look forward to mine every spring.
Sherry
Hi Sherry,
I also have 3 snowball bushes that have not bloomed, two of them are 4 yrs old, they leaf out, but don’t grow and don’t bloom. I have a newer one that is only 2 now and it’s not growing either.
We live in North Idaho, zone 4, and I planted them in full sun. Our soil is heavy clay but they are on slopes where they will drain good and I amended the soil in the growing holes when I planted them. I mulch them with straw in the winter to keep them from freezing.
Is there a fertilizer that I should use maybe that would help? Would cow manure hurt them?
I had 2 in our previous house not far from here, zone 5 and they were beautiful,
Barb
Hi Barb,
I’m just not sure why yours isn’t blooming. Do you prune it? They bloom on the previous years growth so I would definitely fertilize it now (compost, manure, or liquid fertilizer etc) and through the summer to stimulate a lot of growth, and don’t prune it. I’m not sure, but is it possible that it has buds that are being killed by late spring freeze?
I’m sorry I can’t be of more help Barb, good luck and I hope you get some blooms on yours soon!
Sherry
Thanks Sherry for responding so quickly. No I have never pruned them, but you’ve given me an idea ~~ think I’ll try to lay some pieces of floating row cover over the tops to see if it could possible be the hard spring frosts. It was 20 here last night.
Thanks again
Barb
Barb, you’re welcome, and good luck with your snowball, hope you get lots of blooms!
[...] Snowball Viburnum in bloom My old-fashioned Snowball bush is in bloom. Although not quite as spectacular as it was last year due to the heavy rains we’ve had here for the past few days, it is still beautiful and is the focal point of my yard right now. I have had this shrub (tree) for many years now and always look forward to it. Click any photo to view larger. For more about this shrub and how to care for it, see my Snowball Viburnum post from last year here. [...]
Sherry,
I just bought a snowball viburnum.I live in connecticut zone 6.I have a spot in my yard that is always wet. Will it be ok to plant my snowball bush there? or do you think it will be to wet for it? It says to keep the plant moist. I’m looking to put a plant in that part of my yard. everything I try just dies. So I thought I try the snowball bush. Because it says to keep moist. Please let me know. And what should I use to plant my snowball bush. peat mossand what else. Thankyou Nancy
Hi Nancy,
I don’t think it would do very well if it the roots are constantly very wet. They do like semi-moist soil especially until they are established, but they need good drainage. Mine is planted just in garden soil with good drainage, I didn’t add anything special to it at all. A little peat moss would probably be good for it though, and you could try it in the spot in your yard but I’m just not sure it would do well in a very wet spot. Good luck, I hope it does well for you.
I have read about these snowballs on many websites as I just bought 30 of them for a hedge. One site brought up this same none flowering issue and they finally tried fertilizing it in the spring and after 15 years it finally started booming who knew chicken manure was so awesome was what they said. I hope this helps and I hope mine do as well as these wonderful pictures as I live in zone 3-4 in Anchorage Alaska.
Denise in Alaska
Great tip about the fertilizer. Thanks Denise in Alaska.
Hope your snowballs do well!
Hi Sherry……..My flowers are starting to turn the brownish color because they are done blooming…Can I Start pruning now????????
Hi Dan,
Yes, right after they finish blooming is the time to prune them.
Thanks Sherry for the info…..
Dan
[...] bed. I have a large section of bishop’s weed (contained with deep edging), and my large snowball viburnum is also in this bed. The snowball provides a shady spot in the middle of the bed and this is ideal [...]
Sherry: Your pictures are beautiful and remind me of my great Aunt Annas snowballs when we used to visit her. I have been very distraught over two snowball viburnums which I planted over 3 years ago. They have never bloomed. I would think it is the area or the clay but my neighbor’s down the road has lots of white blooms like your picture. My husband says they look like weeds and I was thinking of taking them out of my landscape until I read your website. We happen to have chickens and an abundance of manure so I can’t wait to run right out there and transfer it to the plants. Maybe next year I can write you with a success story. Thanks again for your website. Cindy
Hi Cindy,
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed the site and found this post helpful. I do love these old-fashioned shrubs, my mom and grandmother always grew them so they also bring back memories for me.
I hope the manure works and you have an abundance of blooms on your snowballs next year. Good luck!
~Sherry
[...] huge section of mixed-color impatiens and begonias in the same border. My large snowball viburnum shrub provides shade for the [...]
I have the same flowers in the front of our house that we love after the first rainfall of the Summer they droop to the ground and then stay that way till we prune them in the Fall. Any ideas on how to prevent this or is there a way to tie them up? They are just so heavy.
Hi Janice, with snowballs, you should prune them right after blooming in the spring. Snowballs are usually finished with their bloom by the end of May.
You could be talking about hydrangeas, the shrubs that bloom throughout the spring and summer? If so, yes you should clip off the spent blooms and they will rebloom.
Both types of shrubs can definitely be staked and tied. I have to use a rope and tie my snowball to the fence post when it’s in bloom or it is so heavy it will droop to the ground when it rains. Same with some of my smaller hydrangeas. I use a stake near them and then tie them to it when they are in heavy bloom.
Thanks for visiting,
Sherry
Yes, they must be hydrangeas then. They bloom in early Spring and all Summer and then turn green in the Fall and still look beautiful. My husband then cuts them down almost to the ground in the Fall so there is only wood left. They seem to grow bigger and bigger each year. They are in a flower bed in front of a window and brick wall. I guess we’ll have to drill some kind of hooks into the wall to use rope. I saw on another site recommending hoop stakes but I think you have to put these in the Spring? And I wonder how well that would hold up these very heavy flowers!
Oops that didn’t register my name. That was my reply above.
Thanks,
Janice
I have a white snowball shrub that was planted two years ago. This first year it was full of while snowballs in the Spring and was beautiful. The second year it did not have any flowers on it all and this year it did not bloom in the Spring but now in October it has buds all over it and is starting to bloom. I live in zone 7 and wonder if the plant will again produce buds and flowers in the Spring. Our first frost is due in about a week. Have you ever seen this happen before? Thanks.
Hi Judy,
No, I have never heard of this before, never saw a snowball bloom at any other time other than spring. Are you sure it’s a snowball and not a hydrangea? Either way, the frost should not kill it although it might damage the open buds.